French Open offers players tool to filter hateful messages on social media platforms

The French Open is offering players free access to a tool that will filter hateful messages on their social media platforms in a bid to prevent cyberbullying, organisers said on Monday.

The French Tennis Federation (FFT) said that artificial intelligence will be used to moderate comments players receive on posts in real time — with responses analysed in less than 200 milliseconds — and care will be taken about what is censored.

“As part of its strategy to take care of the players’ mental health, the FFT decided to collaborate with ‘Bodyguard’ to fight against cyberbullying,” the FFT said in a statement. Technology will be used to protect all official social media accounts.